Etching apparatus and etching method

Abstract

A wafer processing apparatus 100 involved in an etching apparatus takes part in selective etching of the peripheral portion of a wafer 200 . The wafer processing apparatus 100 includes a lower electrode 112 which is a stage on which the wafer 200 is placed, a process gas introducing duct 120 supplying a process gas etching the peripheral portion, and a plurality of etching-interfering gas introducing ducts 118 a, 118 b, 118 c and 118 d supplying etching-interfering gas an interfering supply of the process gas to the center of the wafer 200 . The etching-interfering gas coming through the plurality of etching-interfering gas introducing ducts 118 a to 118 d is supplied in a plurality of directions, while being independently controlled in each supply volume.

1 . An etching apparatus selectively etching the peripheral portion of a wafer comprising: 
 a stage on which a wafer is placed;    a process gas supply port through which a process gas for etching said peripheral portion is supplied; and    an etching-interfering gas supply port through which an etching-interfering gas interfering supply of said process gas to the center of said wafer is supplied,    wherein at least either of said process gas supply port and said etching-interfering gas supply port is provided in a multiple way, so as to supply the gas through said plurality of supply ports in a plurality of directions, and so as to independently control supply volume of said gas from said plurality of supply ports.    
     
     
         2 . The etching apparatus according to  claim 1 , wherein said etching-interfering gas supply port is provided in a multiple way, so as to supply the etching-interfering gas through said plurality of etching-interfering gas supply ports in a plurality of directions, and so as to independently control supply volume of said etching-interfering gas from said plurality of etching-interfering gas supply ports.  
     
     
         3 . The etching apparatus according to  claim 1 , wherein both of said process gas supply port and said etching-interfering gas supply port are provided in multiple ways, so as to supply the process gas through said plurality of process gas supply ports and said etching-interfering gas through said plurality of etching-interfering gas supply ports respectively in a plurality of directions, and so as to independently control supply volume of said process gas from said plurality of process gas supply ports and said etching-interfering gas from said plurality of etching-interfering gas supply ports.  
     
     
         4 . The etching apparatus according to  claim 1 , further comprising a partition plate partitioning the gas supplied through said plurality of supply ports.  
     
     
         5 . The etching apparatus according to  claim 2 , further comprising a partition plate partitioning the gas supplied through said plurality of etching-interfering gas supply ports.  
     
     
         6 . The etching apparatus according to  claim 3 , further comprising a partition plate partitioning the gas supplied from said plurality of process gas supply ports and said plurality of etching-interfering gas supply ports.  
     
     
         7 . The etching apparatus according to  claim 1 , further comprising an upper electrode and a lower electrode generating a plasma, and 
 said stage is configured so as to dispose the wafer between said upper electrode and said lower electrode, and so as to have an in-plane width smaller than that of the wafer placed thereon.    
     
     
         8 . The etching apparatus according to  claim 2 , further comprising an upper electrode and a lower electrode generating a plasma, and 
 said stage is configured so as to dispose the wafer between said upper electrode and said lower electrode, and so as to have an in-plane width smaller than that of the wafer placed thereon.    
     
     
         9 . The etching apparatus according to  claim 3 , further comprising an upper electrode and a lower electrode generating a plasma, and 
 said stage is configured so as to dispose the wafer between said upper electrode and said lower electrode, and so as to have an in-plane width smaller than that of the wafer placed thereon.    
     
     
         10 . The etching apparatus according to  claim 1 , further comprising: 
 a peripheral removal width observation unit which observes width of removal of the peripheral portion of the etched wafer; and    an output unit which outputs the width of removal of said peripheral portion of the etched wafer observed by said peripheral removal width observation unit.    
     
     
         11 . The etching apparatus according to  claim 10 , further comprising a control unit which independently controls the supply volume of said gas supplied through said plurality of supply ports, based on the width of removal of the peripheral portion of the wafer output by said output unit.  
     
     
         12 . The etching apparatus according to  claim 2 , further comprising: 
 a peripheral removal width observation unit which observes width of removal of the peripheral portion of the etched wafer; and    an output unit which outputs the width of removal of said peripheral portion of the etched wafer observed by said peripheral removal width observation unit.    
     
     
         13 . The etching apparatus according to  claim 12 , further comprising a control unit which independently controls the supply volume of said gas supplied through said plurality of etching-interfering gas supply ports, based on the width of removal of the peripheral portion of the wafer output by said output unit.  
     
     
         14 . The etching apparatus according to  claim 3 , further comprising: 
 a peripheral removal width observation unit which observes width of removal of the peripheral portion of the etched wafer;    an output unit which outputs the width of removal of said peripheral portion of the etched wafer observed by said peripheral removal width observation unit; and    a control unit which independently controls the supply volume of said gas supplied through said plurality of etching-interfering gas supply ports and said plurality of process gas supply ports, based on the width of removal of the peripheral portion of the wafer output by said output unit.    
     
     
         15 . A method of selectively etching the peripheral portion of a wafer, comprising: 
 selectively etching the peripheral portion of one wafer, using a process gas etching said peripheral portion and an etching-interfering gas interfering supply of said process gas to the center of said wafer,    wherein in said selectively etching, at least either of said process gas and said etching-interfering gas is supplied from a plurality of positions, and so as to independently control supply volume of said gas at each of said positions.    
     
     
         16 . The method according to  claim 15 , intended for successively etching the peripheral portions of a plurality of wafers, further comprising: 
 observing width of removal of the peripheral portion of the wafer etched in said selectively etching; and    calculating difference in said width of removal occurred in said selectively etching, by comparing said width of removal observed in said observing with a predetermined reference value;    wherein in said selectively etching, supply volume of said gas at each of said positions is independently controlled, based on said difference calculated in said calculating.